


Someone to You

by aliatori



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Awkward Crush, First Dates, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, super light angst don't worry, this is the fluffiest thing i've written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 08:16:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13677810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliatori/pseuds/aliatori
Summary: When you can't tell any of your closest friends about your crush, you do the next best thing: tell the internet.





	Someone to You

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a gift for [@harshmallow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/harshmallow/pseuds/harshmallow) for the FFXV Valentine's gift exchange. I... may have gone a bit overboard, but I really, really hope you enjoy nevertheless.
> 
> Thank you to [@Xylianna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xylianna/pseuds/Xylianna) for her beta attentions - any remaining mistakes are on me. Special thanks also to [@roadsoftrial](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roadsoftrial/pseuds/roadsoftrial) and [@naksworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/naksworth/pseuds/naksworth) for giving this a once over as well.

Considering that the Oracle herself had asked Prompto to become friends with the Prince of Lucis, and all the work he’d put in to get to this point, and how close he and Noctis had become in such a short amount of time, Prompto was incredibly nervous about meeting Noctis’s dad.

No, scratch that, about meeting the _King of Flippin’ Lucis_. 

“Prompto… chill. It’s a formality or whatever. No one’s gonna be like, ‘oh, well, guess you can’t be friends with the Prince.’ Dad’s just excited to meet you.”

Prompto stopped plucking at the bottom of his wristband to look at Noctis.

“You sure about that, buddy? I’m feeling pretty underdressed here. Do people usually, like, have audiences with the King in their school uniforms? I should have gone home to change first,” Prompto said, bouncing up and down on his heels.

Noctis narrowed his eyes at Prompto. “Do you even have anything to dress up in?”

Prompto laughed, and if the laugh was a little more shrill than it might otherwise be, no one could blame him. “Yeah, okay, you got me there. This is the nicest thing I have, soooo…”

“You’ll be fine. Trust me,” Noctis said, a rare smile spreading across his face as knocked a fist against Prompto’s shoulder.

Prompto managed a nod and a shaky smile in return. Noctis’s words helped, but asking him not to be nervous about this was like asking him not to go for his morning run, or asking him not to fall asleep in English class. Not happening.

When Noctis led them through a set of double doors flanked by two black-garbed soldiers, Prompto half expected to end up in the throne room itself. He was relieved to see that they were in a modest office instead. 

Prompto was _not_ relieved, not in the slightest, to see two intimidating looking dudes on either side of the sprawling, regal desk. Noctis had said it would just be King Regis. The guy on the left was studying Prompto from behind his glasses like he was about to dissect him for a lab experiment, and the guy on the right…

_Oh no. Red alert._ Prompto’s hands began to sweat.

King Regis looked up from his desk with a smile playing at his lips.

“Good afternoon, Noctis,” the King said, rising from his chair.

“Hi Dad,” Noctis replied. The Prince looked between the two men on either side of the desk. “Hey, Ignis, Gladio. Didn’t expect you here.”

“Forgive me,” King Regis started, taking careful steps to stand in front of Noctis and Prompto. “I thought it best to introduce you all at the same time.” Regis turned his stately gaze on Prompto. “And you must be the Prompto Argentum I’ve heard so much about.”

Prompto remembered his manners—better late than never—and sank into a deep bow. “Yes, Your Majesty. It’s… it’s an honor to meet you.”

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony, my boy. The pleasure is mine,” King Regis said, and the warmth of his words soothed Prompto’s nerves. “Noctis…” the King prodded gently, inclining his head.

“Right, right. Prom, this is Ignis Scientia, my… uh, Advisor,” Noctis said, waving a hand in the direction of glasses guy.

Ignis bowed to Prompto, the motion exact and just as deep as propriety required. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Prompto.”

“S-same,” Prompto replied, giving a little bob of a bow and cursing himself for stuttering.

“And this is Gladiolus Amicitia, my future Shield and…” Noctis’s deep blue eyes lingered on King Regis for a second before he continued, “My trainer. For fighting and stuff.”

How could Prompto’s mouth be so dry and his palms be so sweaty at the same time? 

Gladiolus—Gladio, Noct had called him—took a couple steps forward and thrust out his hand towards Prompto. Prompto took the proffered hand, a hand that dwarfed his own in size, and gave a few weak shakes.

“Nice to meetcha,” Gladio said, and sweet Six, actually grinned and winked at Prompto with one stunning, long-lashed amber eye.

“Yeah, you too,” Prompto managed to say.

It had been a long time since Prompto had fallen victim to the deadly crush-at-first-sight, but here he was, pierced like an arrow. Or a bullet. Or something.

* * *

> **_Chocoboy19:_ **
> 
> so today was kinda intense. i’ve made a new friend recently and, he’s like, a pretty big deal, but it’s cool because he’s also really nice and amazing. but he’s such a big deal that he has a bunch of people that help him out with stuff (sorry, i know i’m being all vague, but i really can’t say a lot more than that).
> 
> i met them two of them today, and _oh em gee_ , guys… i don’t know how i’m gonna make it. it’s like… okay, i’ll use a story for an example.
> 
> in grade four (yup we’re going way back hang on) there was this girl. we’ll call her Claudia to protect the innocent or whatever. it was my first day at a new school and my parents had packed my school bag but they _forgot to pack me anything to write with_. not even a crayon, dudes.
> 
> and of course, like, i’m in grade four, and too scared to even ask the teacher who i’m sure would have given me something. Claudia sat beside me and she must have seen me panicking because sure enough, she leans over and smiles and hands me one of her pencils. just like that. 
> 
> i spent the next _two years_ as madly in love with her as a fourth (and fifth and sixth) grader could be before she changed schools. i remember, like, she really liked cats, so i started taking pictures of random people’s cats on my way to school and showing her and… geez, this is embarrassing to admit, haha!
> 
> there’s a point to this though. the point is, I haven’t crushed on _anyone_ that hard since Claudia. i’m a teenager or whatever so, you know how it is, i’ve had crushes… but not _crushes_. until today.
> 
> he’s… fam, he’s amazing. Astrals bless the internet because i may or may not have (i totally did) looked him up on Moogle and. just. WOW. i mean, he’s really cute. nah, cute isn’t the right word, he’s freaking drop dead handsome. Like, ‘assault with a deadly weapon because you looked at him’ handsome. but i don’t think that’s what did me in.
> 
> i was so nervous today, but when i met him… when he smiled at me… it all kind of melted? he looks like kinda a tough guy, so i was expecting him to be all serious and mean, but he freaking winked at me. who even does that? what a dork.
> 
> holy chocobo, i’m done already. hopefully this will be, you know, a phase. that’s what people say, right? infatuation. because if it’s not, well, you guys can expect a lot more posts about him. i can’t really talk to anyone else about it and… 
> 
> i gotta tell someone. right? for now… 
> 
> P out.
> 
> Tuesday, 8:36 PM, 08/07/751  
>  (Like)(Comment)(Share)

* * *

Unfortunately for Prompto, it was _not_ a phase.

* * *

> **_Chocoboy19:_ **
> 
> i can’t believe how much time’s gone by already, wow. i guess we can start with the good news first: i graduated high school! hooray! i’m not a complete failure! (kidding, kidding…) let’s not talk about entrance exams...
> 
> the actual ceremony was kinda boring and stiff if i’m honest, and my parents were too busy to come, but! but but but! you’ll never guess who did come.
> 
> ok, if you’ve been reading this blog for, like, more than two days, you know who came. him.
> 
> i think he was mostly there for Sleepy. (by the way, Sleepy continues to live up to that codename, cause just a couple nights ago he fell asleep _right in the middle of a pvp match where i was winning, no fair_!) even if Crush was there for Sleepy, he sure did spend a lot of time hanging out with me. he probably just felt bad for me cause my parents weren’t there, but he stuck by me all day and through the whole party we had back at Sleepy’s place to celebrate.
> 
> i thought after _the incident_ last month (you know, the one where Specs finally gave me Crush’s number ‘in case of emergency’, and then i spent all night staring at it, and accidentally sent a dorky selfie to him instead of Sleepy, and almost died of embarrassment? that one?) that he wouldn’t want to talk to me at all. but he was laughing and smiling and told me he was proud of me.
> 
> and _hugged_ me. H u g g e d m e. for like, a solid seven seconds at least. i’m never gonna shower again. okay, maybe i’ll shower, but i’m never gonna wash these clothes again. they’ll go in the back of my closet and i’ll start my own personal shrine, a shrine to Crush in all his glory.
> 
> ...i’m reading too much into all of this, aren’t i? i mean, hugs are like, what normal people give their friends when they’re happy, right? _ugh_. and we talk a lot, but only when it’s the four of us together, so he probably doesn’t even think of me when i’m not actually physically around.
> 
> he’s not as big of a deal as Sleepy is, but he’s a _pretty big deal_. maybe it’s time to get real with myself and try to, y’know, stop carrying the torch? quench the flames of my ardor (hah, that vocabulary studying paid off)? bury the hatchet - no, wait, that’s not right. giving up this crush would save me a lot of trouble in the long run, i think.
> 
> except, dudes and dudettes and gentlefolk of all persuasions, i can’t. i just _can’t_. i’ve tried super hard. it would be a lot easier if i could have all these feelings—the ones that make my head and stomach feel all fuzzy and kinda gross but also awesome—for anyone else but him. but I don’t, you know?
> 
> okay, i’m gonna go before this gets mopey and stuff. i know i’m feeling this way because today was so nice, nice enough that i could almost pretend he likes me the same way i like him, but it still sucks.
> 
> ‘til next time.
> 
> P out.
> 
> Saturday, 11:02 PM, 03/14/754  
>  (Like)(Comment)(Share)

* * *

Prompto flopped down onto the couch with an exaggerated flailing of his limbs. He had the remote clutched in one hand—he and Noct were the only ones who knew how to work the complicated entertainment centre, and since Noct was being lazy, that left it to Prompto.

“Would anyone care to enlighten me as to the purpose of horror films? Why would anyone wish to deliberately frighten themselves?” Iggy asked from the kitchen.

“I don’t think you’d get it even if we explained it to you, Specs,” Noctis said, already curled up on his traditional spot on the couch. At Iggy’s razor-sharp raised eyebrow, Noctis laughed.

“Relax, Iggy,” Gladio said with a smirk. “It’s Hallows Eve. At least we’re not out trying to escort a certain Prince who decided he wanted to run around like an idiot in a costume in public on a day where _literally_ everyone is in disguise. Security nightmare.”

Noctis snorted and rolled his eyes in Gladio’s direction.

“Dude, I was the best Kenny Crow ever. And didn’t you get some girl’s phone number that night? The one dressed like… what was it, a cat? A mouse? You should be thanking me,” Noctis said.

“Forgot about that,” Gladio said with a quiet laugh.

Prompto shifted on the couch, a twinge of achiness poking him behind the ribs at the tone of Gladio’s laugh. He was suddenly aware of how close Gladio was sitting to him and thought about moving away, but if he did there would be no room for Ignis to join them once he was through in the kitchen.

“I think I still have pictures on my phone,” Prompto said. He pulled his phone from the pocket of his black skinny jeans and started to flip through the photo app. He was so engrossed in his search that he didn’t notice Gladio lean towards him on the couch until he spoke.

“Hey, Prom, go back a sec? What was that picture?” Gladio asked, resting a hand on Prompto’s shoulder. He smelled of some spicy, manly, foresty smelling cologne that rushed straight to Prompto’s head. 

Be cool, Prompto thought to himself, be cool.

“Uhhhhhh whichonewhatpicture?” Prompto asked in a rush, the words blending together nonsensically.

“Aw man, Gladio… you broke Prom. Thanks,” Noct commented from the other side of the couch, tapping away at his own phone.

Not trusting himself to speak, Prompto flipped backwards through his photos one by one until Gladio spoke.

“Yeah, that was the one I saw. Where’d you take this? It’s really good.”

Prompto squinted from behind the large red frames of his glasses—he’d taken to wearing them for fun—and tried to think. Thinking was made more difficult by Gladio’s proximity, by the warmth he could feel radiating from the larger man.

“Hmmm, umm… oh! This was was at Highland Grounds, the park near my house. I went for my morning run a bit earlier than normal and caught the most epic of epic sunrises. I wish I’d had my real camera with me, but this pic still came out pretty awesome,” Prompto said, relaxing a bit as he explained the picture.

“You mind sending it to me? My phone’s so new it still has the default background, and what better background than a Prompto Original?” Gladio asked, smiling in that easy way of his.

“Sure, sure, no problem,” Prompto agreed. A few taps, swipes, and presses later, the photo was off to Gladio.

“Thanks,” Gladio said. He squeezed Prompto’s shoulder… wait, he’d never let _go_ of Prompto’s shoulder… and went back to reclining on his side of the couch.

Ignis saved Prompto from a lengthy internal debate on what a shoulder touch meant in this context by joining the three. He held two gigantic bowls of popcorn, handing one to Noctis and one to Gladio before the two of them could start fighting over the snacks. There’d been enough movie nights at Noct’s place to establish a sort of routine. Prompto didn’t think he could eat, anyway, given that his stomach seemed to be holding a one organ riot in his belly.

“So, we ready to fire it up? We gotta have the lights off or else it’s not _nearly_ as scary,” Prompto asked, hopping up off the couch as Ignis sat down.

“Let’s do it,” Noctis said.

Prompto turned off the lights, hustled back to the couch, and picked the abandoned remote up off the couch to start the movie.

Prompto was definitely the biggest movie buff between the four of them and the movie choice was usually left up to him. He wasn’t the a chicken when it came to horror—that honor belonged to Noct—but there were certain things that squicked him out. He couldn’t watch animals being hurt, and super excessive gore was off the table as well, but most other things he could handle.

Except jump scares.

In retrospect, Prompto should have expected a movie called _Escape from Bloody Willow Asylum_ to have some jump scares. He was doing well, really. Noct had retreated under a blanket, Ignis seemed to be studying the ceiling as though it were one of his reports, and Gladio wore an expression equally amused and disgusted.

When a rabid woman in a straightjacket flew at the camera in an otherwise completely silent scene, Prompto _freaked_.

“ _Holy farking chocobo_!” Prompto yelled. No, screamed. Screamed like a little girl. He scrambled for the nearest thing to grab onto, holding on tight and hiding his face.

The nearest thing to grab onto, in this case, happened to be Gladio. It took Prompto’s fear-muddled brain a solid 20 seconds to catch up to his surroundings, his heart racing so fast it felt like it would punch a hole through his chest.

Oh no, oh _no_. He was in Gladio’s lap, and his face was buried in Gladio’s chest. Gladio’s warm, firm, good-smelling, t-shirted, muscular chest. And Gladio had an arm around Prompto’s back that kept Prompto from retreating.

“Astrals, Blondie, you okay? Thought you liked this crap,” Gladio asked.

“I do,” Prompto squeaked, unable to look at Gladio or the television or anything except the backs of his eyelids.

“Cor’s gonna have a field day with you when you start Crownsguard training. Maybe we need to start watching more of these to prepare you,” Gladio replied with a snort of laughter. But his hand ran up and down Prompto’s back in slow, gentle passes.

_Titan, Ramuh, Shiva, Ifrit, Leviathan_. Prompto was dreaming. He had to be dreaming or in an alternate dimension, because in this current reality, Gladio would have shoved him off his lap already.

“Hey, Prom, I don’t think ‘protection from scary movies’ is in my Shield’s job description,” Noctis quipped from his side of the couch. Prompto felt his cheeks flush at the words.

“Look who’s talking, Prince Charmless. You’re the one hiding under a blanket,” Gladio shot back.

Was Gladio _defending him_? Prompto shook his head and, very reluctantly, started to move from Gladio’s lap. Gladio let him go, but his gaze met Prompto’s; for the brief period that Prompto could manage to meet the other man’s eyes, there was a softness in their amber depths that released a cage of butterflies in Prompto’s stomach.

“Shall we stop the movie?” Ignis asked.

“Nah, Iggy. I gotta redeem myself after that one,” Prompto said, leaning back into the couch cushions and crossing his legs.

There wasn’t much time left in the movie and it passed in relative silence, aside for a few gibes between Noctis and Gladio. Prompto tried to focus on the plot, but his mind still reeled from the contact with Gladio. He could have shoved Prompto away, could have mocked him, but instead… he’d let him stay. He’d defended him.

And then, near the end of the movie, Gladio slid one hand over Prompto’s knee and rested it there. The gesture was so casual, so light that Prompto thought he imagined it. But when he looked down at his jeans, nope, there is was, one tanned palm curved against the knobby joint. As the credits started to roll, Gladio removed his hand, but not before giving Prompto’s leg a light squeeze.

Prompto clearly had lost his mind. He’d gone crazy. None of this was real.

Noct retreated to his bedroom and Gladio made his excuses, claiming an early night. But he caught Prompto’s eye and winked before he left, winked like he had the first time they met, and Prompto felt like flying.

Ignis offered to drive Prompto home, which he gladly accepted. He could have taken the train, but dodging the Hallow’s Eve crowds seemed like a good idea.

Prompto might not be able to talk to Ignis about his feelings, but he _could_ ask for advice indirectly.

“Hey, Iggy? When you have a hard choice to make, or you’re wondering if something is the right thing to do… how do you decide?”

Ignis tilted his head to one side and pursed his lips. “Generally, I find it beneficial to make a list of pros and cons about the decision in question. Seeing the risks and rewards laid out in a concrete fashion makes me feel more secure about a choice.”

“Pros and cons, huh? Yeah, that could work. Thanks,” Prompto said, the gears already turning in his mind.

“You’re welcome, Prompto,” Ignis said, not bothering to hide his tiny smile.

* * *

> **_Chocoboy19:_**
> 
> hi everyone. so. there’ve been some interesting developments in the case of P and His Unattainable Crush. developments like throwing myself on his lap in terror, smouldering eye contact, and knee squeezes. at the advice of Specs, i’ve decided to make a list of pros and cons about acting on said developments.
> 
> pros of asking him out:
> 
>   * i could get the boyfriend i’ve been dreaming of for years
>   * It’s been a while since i’ve done it, but kissing is wicked fun
>   * did I mention getting the boyfriend I’ve been dreaming of for years?
>   * … did I mention kissing is _wicked_ fun?
>   * _hugs. lots of hugs. lots of hugs from hug-mongous arms (see what I did?)_
>   * always having a workout buddy
>   * someone to show my pictures to besides the Sleepy and the internet
>   * _ABS_
>   * … being able to take pictures of those abs
>   * now I’m getting distracted
>   * cuddles in general, like, man… so many cuddles. he’s totally a cuddler, i can tell
>   * fun, romantic dates by candlelight
>   * stealing his giant hoodies and wearing them everywhere even though they’d come down to my knees
>   * kissingggggggggg. _MAKING OUT. MAKING OUT WHILE WEARING GIGANTIC HOODIES THAT DONT BELONG TO ME???_
>   * … mind out of the gutter, P. mind out of the gutter
> 

> 
> __
> 
> _cons of asking him out:_
> 
>   * soul crushing rejection
>   * the reality not living up to the dream
>   * ruining our existing friendship
>   * … possibly ruining _all_ of my existing friendships, since Specs and Sleepy are _super_ close to Crush
>   * humiliation because he might not be into guys, or he might not be into me
>   * he might have a girlfriend or boyfriend that I don’t know about
>   * … did i mention soul crushing rejection?
> 

> 
> hey, at least the cons list is way shorter, even if it is way more intense!
> 
> … oh, Astrals. i think i might be in love with him?
> 
> time to go think about this, possibly for so long that the opportunity passes me by. classic P!
> 
> P out!
> 
> Sunday, 01:02 AM, 11/01/754  
>  (Like)(Comment)(Share)
> 
> __

__

* * *

“Again, Argentum. And if they’re sloppy this time, you’ll do another set, and another, until I’m satisfied with the results.”

Prompto suppressed a groan at Cor’s clipped order. He knew training for the Crownsguard would be difficult, but he wanted to be there for Noctis however he could. Being there for Noctis in this case, at this moment, meant a brutal conditioning regime that had him feeling like he might puke from five minutes in.

Prompto launched himself into another set of burpees. Squat, push, jump. Squat, push, jump. Sweat plastered his Crownsguard training fatigues to him—he wouldn’t earn the real uniform until he was officially inducted.

Which, at this rate, might be never. He felt like he was gonna die. He’d never make it out of the training room because he’d have a heart attack and keel over first.

Squat, push, jump. Only a few more.

Prompto tried to focus on his form, making the motions of the exercise as precise as possible. He would seriously have to consider making his morning run longer and adding some weight training in if he was going to survive any of this. He thought his stamina was decent before the past two weeks of introductory training.

Prompto finished his set gasping for breath, his lungs burning. He managed to bring his fist to his chest and salute Cor.

Cor considered for a moment. “Good enough. I expect better from you next session. Take ten and we’ll move on to upper body exercises.”

“Yes, sir,” Prompto said before collapsing onto the floor, panting. He knew walking around would be better, but his legs refused to carry him anywhere for the moment.

After a few minutes, Prompto sat up and made his way to his water bottle resting against the training room wall. He didn’t know how he would continue with further exercises, but he took careful sips from the water bottle, careful not to overdo it. While he was sitting on the bench on the side of the room, his eyes wandered. There were several members of the Kingsglaive on the other side of the training room, but none of them paid any attention to Prompto.

When Prompto saw Cor striding back with those measured steps, his stomach began to ache preemptively. Cor held a medicine ball loosely under one arm as he studied Prompto.

“This should be fairly simple. We’ll toss this back and forth as fast as possible, work on building your upper body endurance,” Cor said.

Prompto nodded, too scared to speak lest his voice betray his complete exhaustion. He took up position opposite to Cor and caught the ball as he threw it. It was far heavier than Prompto expected, and his jelly arms fought him at every toss. He probably would have been able to manage it… had it not been for Gladio.

Around the seventh or eighth pass, Prompto caught sight of Gladio laughing and joking with a group of people in Crownsguard uniform. He wore a plain black singlet and a pair of Crownsguard slacks, his uniform jacket draped over his shoulder. Prompto couldn’t hear what was being said, but Gladio tossed his head and gave a cocky grin in response to a statement by one of the Guard. He then maneuvered himself into a headstand against the wall and started doing push ups; Prompto involuntarily licked his lips at the way Gladio’s muscles rippled under his skin. 

“Argentum!” Cor snapped, sensing Prompto’s loss of attention.

“Sorry, sir!” Prompto replied, trying hard to focus on the exercise at hand. But his eyes inevitably drifted back to Gladio, to those tattooed arms and the blatant display of physical prowess.

He was so focused on Gladio and his impressive demonstration of ability that he barely felt it when the medicine ball whacked him upside the head. At first, anyway.

Prompto _did_ feel it when he realized he was laying flat on his back, head pounding, the lights of the training room too bright in the ceiling above him. He heard snatches of voices around him but couldn’t force his brain to make sense of them. Cor’s face popped up in his vision.

“... Argentum… _Prompto_ … over here, Amicitia…”

“... Sir… happened…”

Hey, Prompto thought with a dim pulse of recognition, that’s Gladio’s last name. Amicitia. _Amicitia_. Ah mih sit ee uh. Prompto giggled from his prone position on the floor, then grimaced when it sent a spike of pain through his head.

“Prom. _Prompto_ ,” a different stern voice said. Prompto squinted and saw Gladio kneeling beside him, a few strands of hair falling into his face, amber eyes narrowed.

“Hi Gladdy,” Prompto said, voice blurry.

“He needs to go to the infirmary sooner rather than later. I’ll save his punishment for not paying attention until we make sure he doesn’t have a concussion. Help me get him up?” Cor asked.

“I’ll take him, sir,” Gladio said. “C’mon, Prom, up we go.”

Prompto felt strong arms nudge under his shoulders and knees and then he was in the air, legs dangling, cradled against Gladio’s chest. 

“Wheeeeeeeee,” Prompto whispered in a tiny voice, flapping his hands weakly.

“Fine. Report back once the doctor’s had a look at him,” Cor ordered.

“Yes, sir, Marshal.”

Prompto closed his eyes as they began to move across the training room and out its wide doors.

“Uh uh. Eyes open, Prom, at least until the doctor has a look at you,” Gladio rumbled. “The hell were you thinking? I know your reflexes are good enough to avoid getting smacked in the head.”

Prompto’s eyelids fluttered open. His head _really_ hurt. “I’ll tell you, but you hafta promise to keep it a secret.”

“Sure, Prom. I’ll keep it a secret, Shield’s honor.”

Prompto gave a weak laugh and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I was watching _Gladio_ instead of the _ball_. And then the ball hit _me_. Funny, right?”

“Funny ain’t the word I’d use, and it definitely won’t be the word you use if you’ve gone and got yourself concussed,” Gladio replied. A small grin twitched across his lips for a brief moment before his serious expression returned. “But don’t worry. I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Thanks, Gladdy. You’re the best.”

* * *

> **_Chocoboy19:_ **
> 
> achievement unlocked: live blogging from the hospital!
> 
> ok, so it’s not technically a hospital, but it is a place with a doctor. don’t worry, i’m okay. well, i think i’m mostly okay. i’m still waiting for the official word from the officially official medical professionals. i’m not supposed to be on my phone, but there’s no one here to stop me, sooo…
> 
> there would be someone here to stop me, if he weren’t off getting me a snack. that’s right, Crush is here, in the flesh, taking care of me. swoon. apparently he even carried me all the way here, although my head’s still a little fuzzy. did you know concussions do that?
> 
> yeah, me neither.
> 
> i’m gonna be totally unfair and blame Crush for this whole thing anyway. him and his stupid charming grin and stupid laugh and stupid _everything_. he’s so stupid that it makes me stupid! … i’m not making sense, am i? haha. i’m probably going to be in so much trouble when all of this is taken care of, but honestly?
> 
> it was worth it. worth it to be carried here like something straight out of a rom-com, worth it to see Crush’s worried face directed at me, worth it for his hand resting over mine (even if his hand was gone before you could say ‘one fluffy chocobo’). worth it for that glittery warmness in his eyes that I’m reading too much into, again, but i can’t help myself.
> 
> i know after the Hallow’s Eve post so many of you commented to say i should ask him out already, but it’s not that simple. to be fair, i’ve tried a _lot_ , but he’s always so busy that i can’t ever seem to catch him alone. the times i do find him alone, i start to talk and… words come out that have nothing to do with asking him out. we talk about his work or Sleepy or dumb stuff like sports or anime or my pictures.
> 
> i wish i could explain more, but it would probably give me _and_ him away and that’s not something I can do. like, i’d be in a hundred million times worse trouble than the trouble i’m in because of my screw up today.
> 
> and besides, if i haven’t made it obvious by now, he’s… he’s way too good for me. he’s not only out of my league, he’s not even on the same planet. and he really seems like the type to just go for what he wants, so i figure if he was interested _he_ would have asked _me_ by now.
> 
> ughhhhh, why is this all so complicated?!?
> 
> oh! He’s back he’s back he’s back and… he found a meat pie? Oh em gee, i love meat pies, and i’m _staaaaaaarving_.
> 
> annnnnd he’s lecturing me about being on my phone - Specs is rubbing off on him, heh - so i’d better go.
> 
> P out!
> 
> Thursday, 06:32 PM, 03/12/755  
>  (Like)(Comment)(Share)

* * *

“Man, Gladio, you really suck at this,” Noctis says with a lazy grin. He let his game controller dangle from one hand, legs extended straight in front of him while a chippy victory tune issued from the TV.

“Not all of us have time to waste getting good at pointless video games,” Gladio replied, jabbing Noct’s shoulder with a fist.

“You _literally_ just have to mash a single button to swing a sword around in this game. You should be perfect at it,” Noctis said, grin widening.

“I’m still better than you at swinging a real sword, so I’d watch your mouth if I were you.”

“How about I put my money where my mouth is?”

“Bring it, Princess.”

Noctis warped into a tackle, hitting Gladio mid-chest. The force of it sent Gladio sprawling to the floor, but he recovered quickly. Noctis found himself tucked under one of Gladio’s arms as his Shield rose to his feet.

“Iggy, remind me again where the trash chute is? Got some garbage that needs to be taken out,” Gladio asked in a conversational tone.

“Gladio, please put His Royal Highness down. Noct, I’d ask you to recall what happened the last time you and Gladio decided the living room was an appropriate place for an impromptu sparring match,” Ignis said drily.

Noctis glared as Gladio dropped him without preamble. He managed to land on his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Wish Prom was here,” Noctis grumbled.

“Well, next time you talk to him, tell him that he should probably take his training seriously when it’s with the Marshal himself,” Gladio said, ruffling Noctis’s hair with a hand. “You need a hand over there in the kitchen, Igs?”

“Everything is quite under control, thank you,” Ignis said.

“He’s okay though, right? I mean, he said on the phone that it was only a grade one concussion… I think,” Noctis asked.

“He’s good. Doc said he just needs to stay away from physical activity and screens for a while, including video game screens,” Gladio replied.

Noctis snorted and made his way to the couch, retrieving his phone from his pocket. “He’s always on his phone. He’s probably on his phone right now.”

Gladio stared at Noctis. “You pulled out your phone and started playing on it as you were criticizing Prompto for doing the same. That must be some kind of new record for you, Princess.”

“But I have something hilarious to show you on my phone, so that makes up for it, right?”

“If this is another stupid cat video…” Gladio started.

“No, even _better_ ,” Noctis said, excitement creeping into his tone. “I found someone’s blog. About you.”

Ignis paused mid-chopping, brandishing the large chef’s knife in Noct’s direction. “I certainly hope this blog isn’t hosted on one of the social media networks you’ve been expressly prohibited from using, Noct.”

“Relax, Specs. I don’t have an account or anything, I just look at other people’s.”

“Lemme see this,” Gladio said, crossing the distance to the couch and taking a seat beside Noctis.

Noctis opened an app on his phone and navigated through several pages before he reached the desired screen. He angled the phone towards Gladio so he could see as Noct swiped through the various posts.

“I dunno why anyone would make a blog about you, but here we are. Look—there’s like, these collages of edited pictures that remind them of you. Usually with a lot of tattoos and leather and birds of prey.”

“Wait, wait, go back, was that… why is there a picture of a shirtless guy on a mountaintop? How is that related to me?” Gladio asked, reaching over and using his index finger to scroll back on Noct’s phone.

“They added ‘would love to go camping with Crush and take some pics of him like this… if I could focus long enough to take any pics.’ Who even says that?” Noct asked with a quiet laugh.

“Hey, I am Insomnia’s second most eligible bachelor. It’s a given that I’d have some fans out there,” Gladio said.

“I feel compelled to point out that Insomnia doesn’t have an official list of ‘most eligible bachelors,’” Ignis quipped from the kitchen.

“Shush, Iggy, let me have this,” Gladio replied with a deep laugh.

“Oh, and yeah, they’ve made like… ten playlists of music that makes them think of you. They have good taste in music, at least, even if it’s about you,” Noctis said with a smirk in Gladio’s direction.

“Really? What kind of music?” Gladio asked.

“I dunno… pop? Rock? Sappy stuff? It’s kinda sad, really. If they actually knew you, I don’t think they’d have a crush on you at all,” Noctis said, earning him a playful hip check from Gladio.

“Oh yeah? And how many Insomnians have you seduced recently?”

“The answer to that question had better be zero,” Ignis piped up from the kitchen.

Noctis ignored Ignis and Gladio, barrelling on with his explanation. “But wait, I haven’t even gotten to the best part,” Noctis said eagerly, pointing at a section of the screen. “Look at their username! Chocoboy19! So lame, just like you, Gladio.” When Gladio’s expression became serious and Ignis’s knife fell still, Noctis frowned. “What?”

“Is that not the moniker Prompto uses on our messaging app?” Ignis asked quietly.

The colour drained from Noctis’s face as the realization hit him. “... Yeah. It is.”

A thick and awkward silence draped over the room. The only sound for several long moments was the quiet hum of the oven working in the background.

“Well,” Gladio finally said, “I guess that answers my question.”

“What question?” Noctis asked.

“If…” Gladio paused to fold his arms across his chest and gave a little sigh. “If he’s interested in me. I thought maybe, you know, he was just naturally flirty. Didn’t wanna push him.”

“You and _Prom_? Dating?” Noctis asked, incredulous, then reconsidered. “Sorry, that was rude. And I mean, I’m the one who just outed him, so…”

“If you got a problem, better say something now,” Gladio said, brows drawn low over his face.

“No, no, I don’t have a problem. I mean, I feel super bad laughing at all of this… I should have realized. It makes perfect sense now that I put all the pieces together. This blog has been going for years, but Prom’s never said a thing to me…”

“He’s your best friend, but unlike some of us, he can’t be ordered into telling you every detail of his personal life,” Gladio said with a grimace.

“Are you going to make this weird, Gladio? Because I’m getting a feeling you’re going to make this weird,” Noct asked, phone forgotten on the arm of the couch.

“I ain’t gonna make it weird, but I ain’t gonna lie, this is awkward all around. You wouldn’t be my first choice to talk about this with, no offense.”

Noctis heaved an impressive sigh. “Okay, fine. Can we agree that you should probably ask Prom out because it would make him stupidly happy? But never, ever tell me any details because ugh, I can live my life without them, thanks a bunch.”

“When have I ever told you any details about my love life, Prince Charmless? Anyway… no time like the present, right?” Gladio asked, digging in his back pocket for his phone.

Noctis placed a hand on Gladio’s arm. “No good, Big Guy. Prom will freak if you call him up out of the blue and ask him out. _And_ he’ll probably find some excuse to ditch you because he’ll work himself up over it between now and whenever you see him.”

Gladio rolled his eyes. “Then what do you suggest I do, oh wise and noble Prince?”

“Actually,” Ignis started, circling around the kitchen island and approaching the couch, “Would you allow me to propose a solution?”

* * *

> **_Chocoboy19:_ **
> 
> hi everyone. sorry it’s been so long since my last update, everyone gave me a lot to think about with my last post. to those of you who were nice about your advice, thank you. to those of you who were, let’s say, less than nice, may i kindly suggest… just… not commenting in the future? lol
> 
> anyway, both sides will be happy to know i’ve decided to go for it. i’m gonna ask him out.
> 
> it was the smallest, silliest thing that pushed me over the edge. i mentioned before that i’ve been doing a lot of physical training for a new job - that’s how i got my sweet concussion - and it was a really long, really hard day. like, i was so exhausted and discouraged that i sorta wanted to cry, but you can’t really cry in front of a bunch of super tough people when you’re supposed to be getting tough too? it’s so late, i’m not making sense, but i had to get this off my mind
> 
> so my… boss, yeah, we’ll call him boss because i can’t think of a better word… my boss must have noticed because he called our session an hour early. and like, i should have been thrilled because literally i was about two jumping jacks from passing out or bursting into tears, but i just felt really bad.
> 
> like a failure.
> 
> i tried texting Sleepy to hang out, but he was busy, which didn’t really surprise me that much. He’s been getting busier and busier lately.
> 
> going home seemed like the best plan. i rushed through a shower (stilllll not super comfy in locker rooms, lots of bad memories) and changed and almost made it out of the big building where i train. but i was sorta lost in thought and ended up in this little area with some trees and benches instead of out on the street.
> 
> i was so tired and frustrated that i picked a corner, sank down against the wall, brought my knees to my chest and cried. it wasn’t about one thing in particular, it was all of it at once. the training, the exhaustion, the loneliness, all the crazy happening in the world, all the feelings about Crush. i try so hard to be cheerful for everyone, i love seeing people happy, but sometimes it catches up to me and i just have to cry it out.
> 
> then i heard it.
> 
> ‘P? What’re you doing out here?’
> 
> i’d know that voice anywhere, but Crush was like, the _very last person_ i wanted to see me cry. i lifted my head, tried to scrub the tears from my face, put on a smile. i couldn’t even look at him. i was so embarrassed that he’d found me like that.
> 
> and then he was sitting next to me, and he had an arm around my shoulders, and he didn’t ask me any more questions. he just talked.
> 
> ‘rough day, huh? i remember the first time i trained with [ _redacted_ ]. he beat the crap out of me so bad that i couldn’t walk straight for a week. as soon as i could walk straight, he did it again. i was so pissed off after a month straight of it that i finally broke down in the shower crying after practice, one of those cries where it’s half angry and half exhausted…’
> 
> spoiler alert, i sort of stopped listening halfway through because sweet Shiva, i couldn’t imagine Crush crying. i couldn’t imagine Crush _telling me_ about crying. i definitely couldn’t imagine him letting me lean against his shoulder on a beautiful spring day while i got my gross, hiccupy, snotty crying under control. but he did.
> 
> ‘here,’ he said, and handed me an honest-to-Infernian handkerchief. like, the fancy embroidered kind, complete with his initials and flowers. i felt bad, but i laughed.
> 
> ‘what, is this a noble tradition or something? a holdover from ye olden days of Lucis for fair and delicate maidens prone to weeping?’
> 
> ‘okay, first, i don’t think you count a delicate maiden, P. second, you gonna blow your nose or keep making fun of me?’ he asked, but he had this kinda lopsided smile as he asked. ‘and before you ask, no, i don’t need it back.’
> 
> so here i am in my room, (clean) weird handkerchief in hand. i’ve been asking for a sign, and i kinda feel like this is it? even if it makes me feel like i’m dying, even if he says no, even if he says yes and it ends up completely crashing and burning, i’m gonna ask. no one makes me feel like he does, no one’s ever made me feel like he does, and if i’m super honest with myself, i’m starting to think no one else ever will.
> 
> i’ll let you gentlefolk of all persuasions know how it works out.
> 
> P out. 
> 
> Wednesday, 02:19 AM, 05/28/755  
>  (Like)(Comment)(Share)

* * *

Prompto stood three buildings down from the sushi place Noct had suggested going to this Saturday. He loved sushi, but he was even more excited since Noct, Iggy, and Gladio would all be coming. It had been forever since they’d all eaten together at a place that wasn’t Noct’s apartment. Prompto understood that security was necessary when the Prince of Lucis was involved—even if he forgot a lot of the time that Noct was a Prince—but having an entourage of Kingsglaive or Crownsguard could make trying to have a normal lunch outing uncomfortable.

He felt… buoyant. Effervescent. It was summer, he had killer tunes piping loud and strong through his over ear headphones while he waited, and he was about to eat so much sushi that they’d have to roll him home. 

Prompto would also get to see Gladio, even if everyone else was there. And maybe, just maybe, he’d finally work up the nerve to ask the question he’d been dreaming of asking for years.

An electronic chirrup through his headphones pulled Prompto from his thoughts. He swiped open his messaging app and felt his heart sink.

**NoctUDown (12:23 PM):** prom, dude, i’m real sorry but me and specs got pulled into some craphouse emergency council meeting so we can’t make it to lunch. (╯︵╰,) 

Prompto sighed.

**Chocoboy19 (12:24 PM):** no worries, i get it!（⌒▽⌒） kingdom to run and all that. anyone told Gladio yet? i’d hate for him to come all the way out near my place for nothing

**NoctUDown (12:25 PM):** i texted him. You guys could still have lunch though.

Prompto raised an eyebrow at the screen of his phone. He couldn’t remember a time where Noct had encouraged him to hang out with Gladio _or_ Iggy alone, like, ever. He drummed his thumbs along the bottom edge of the phone while he contemplated a reply.

But then, when he lifted his eyes from the screen, he saw Gladio. He was still a ways down the sidewalk, but _Astrals_ , it was going to be a day of firsts for Prompto. If he’d been distracted that day at training, Prompto was even more distracted now.

Prompto gave a little wave as he drank in the sight. How could someone make jeans and a t-shirt look that good? The jeans were a dark blue wash and fit Gladio perfectly. Prompto swallowed hard as his eyes roved upward, taking in the slate grey, tight-fitting tee that clung to Gladio. At least it wasn’t a singlet—that would have done Prompto in for sure—but the lines of his tattoo still crept out from under the t-shirt like a promise.

No, wait. Prompto _was_ gonna die. Gladio had his hair pulled back into the dreaded _man bun_ , Prompto’s one true weakness even beyond Gladio’s kind smile or chiseled physique. Prompto briefly wondered how badly Gladio would take it if he turned around and started sprinting home as fast as he could. Not great, probably, but his nerves were buzzing like those gross giant wasps they showed videos of in Crownsguard training.

“Hellllooo? Eos to Prom? Anyone in there?”

Prompto blinked. Gladio was standing right in front of him, waving one big hand back and forth in front of Prompto’s face.

“H-hey, hi, sorry! I was completely spaced out there for a sec. Almost didn’t recognize you with the casual getup. You look nice… uh, I mean, the outfit looks nice, sorry” Prompto said. Gods, he was already babbling.

Gladio laughed. “Thanks. Iggy’d be proud to know someone’s keeping my ego in check by telling me my clothes look nice and not me.”

“No! No, that’s not what I meant at all. You look nice, too. _So_ nice,” Prompto backpedaled. He wondered if there was a store nearby that sold phoenix downs. He felt like he was going to need one, because he was totally digging his own grave already.

“Relax, Prom, I’m joking,” Gladio said warmly, rubbing Prompto’s back between his shoulder blades and _wow_ , that was a distracting sensation. “I’m guessing Prince Charmless texted you about the emergency session back at the Citadel?”

“He did. We can call it for today if you want,” Prompto offered.

“Nah, I’m starving, _and_ I’ve been looking forward to sushi since it got brought up. If you’re hungry, we should grab a bite.”

Hungry? Yes. Able to eat past the nerves-induced nausea making waves in his stomach? Maybe not.

“You got it, Big Guy. I’m right behind you,” Prompto said.

When they made it to the entrance under bubby lettering that read ‘sushi for me’, Gladio stepped in front of Prompto to hold the door open and gave him a tiny smile.

“Thanks,” Prompto squeaked, willing himself not to blush. He blushed anyway, his cheeks and the tips of his ears heating. Gladio followed behind him, his presence so strong that Prompto felt it like a weight in his chest.

Leave it to Noct to pick a sushi go round, Prompto thought. The interior was clean and lit by circular lamps spread out evenly across the ceiling. A U-shaped, polished walnut table with matching stools took up the majority of the restaurant. Despite his nerves, Prompto’s stomach gave a tiny growl as he watched the sushi-topped plates drift lazily around the conveyor belt.

“Probably a good thing Iggy couldn’t make it. He’d have an aneurysm if we let Noct eat here,” Gladio said with a snort of laughter. He turned his gaze to Prompto. “Any preference on where we sit?”

“Nope. I’m good,” Prompto said quickly. Maybe too quickly. How, after all these years, had he never noticed that Gladio’s eyes were the colour of filtered apple cider? 

Gladio managed to find them two seats together near the top of the ‘U’ despite the sizeable lunch crowd. Prompto slid onto his stool, too aware of how Gladio’s bulk and the limited space made their bodies press together along their sides.

“There’s one of these places near the Citadel that me and some of the Glaive go to before hitting the bar on Friday nights,” Gladio said, eyeing the conveyor belt before picking a couple of plates, “Ugh, one time, Crowe bet me I couldn’t get through a double digit amount of plates before we left. I did, but… regret. So much regret.”

Prompto laughed despite himself. “Oh man, I bet you felt _awful_ after. I shouldn’t be laughing, but you kinda did it to yourself, you know? One time, Noct dared me to eat pizza with pineapple and anchovies _and_ ranch dressing on it. I made it through half a piece before… well...”

Gladio whistled. “You’ve got guts for trying, that’s for sure. I always wonder what you guys get up to when Iggy isn’t around. Now I know.” He lifted a piece of sashimi—red tuna?—to his lips with his chopsticks, cocking an eyebrow at Prompto as he placed it on his tongue.

Why was that sexy? Eating sushi should not be sexy. Then again, it was Gladio, so the list of things he could do and _not_ be sexy to Prompto was incredibly short.

“Ok, that was like, _one time_. Noct had to buy me a new memory card for my camera, so it was totally worth it,” Prompto explained with a giggle. He eyed a plate with a shrimp tempura roll, debated for a moment since he tried to stay away from fried stuff, but relented and grabbed it anyway.

“What _do_ you do in your free time? I know about the photography, and probably more video games than I could hope to remember, and movies of course, but I feel like I don’t know much beyond that,” Gladio said.

Prompto felt his nerves flare to life again at the question. He thought of his blog and immediately ruled out mentioning that. To buy himself time, he stuffed a piece of a maki roll in his mouth. Once he’d finished chewing and swallowing, he finally answered. “I mean… you know. Stuff? Lately, lots of working out. A run in the morning except on days where I have training. Iggy recommended this yoga class in my neighborhood that I started going to. Playing around on the internet and watching dumb cartoons. Normal person stuff, I guess.”

Gladio worked through a couple more pieces of his sashimi. Then, with a frankness Prompto had grown to appreciate but wasn’t prepared for, he asked a question. “This might seem random, but are you seeing anyone?”

“Uhhh… no, dude, haha. Unless… well, that’s a crude joke to make in public, but let’s leave it at no,” Prompto said with a nervous laugh, pulling an Ignis and adjusting the thick red frames of his glasses. “I’ve had a crush on someone for like, forever, but I don’t know if it’s gonna work out. Annnnnd I don’t know why I just admitted that out loud.”

“Prom,” Gladio said, and the seriousness in his tone made Prompto’s heart flutter in erratic beats, “I wanna tell you something, because I’m gonna feel really guilty if I don’t come clean about it, but I need you to promise not to freak out.”

The flutter of Prompto’s heart turned into a persistent thunder. He started to sweat in places he didn’t know he could sweat from. “For someone who’s like, trained in crisis management, you should know that’s the _worst_ possible way bring a subject up.”

“I know about the blog. Your blog.”

“Huh,” Prompto said. A giddy, hysterical laugh bubbled up from his throat unbidden. He dropped his chopsticks and gripped the edge of the table as he swayed. Out of all the people in the known universe, the only person that Prompto _never_ wanted to find his blog had found it. His mind went ragged, his thoughts drifting like confetti around his head.

“I wasn’t looking for it, I swear. Noct was being an idiot and showed it to me, but he didn’t realize it was yours because, well, idiot. I didn’t even see that much of it. But—”

Nope, Prompto thought, can’t do it. He was off the stool and out the door before Gladio finished his sentence.

Of course, in the thirty minutes he and Gladio had been inside, a summer storm had rolled in. Rain poured down in torrential sheets, drenching Prompto almost immediately. He scrambled to make sure his phone was dry before power walking in the vague direction of his house. He took his glasses off and hung them on his t-shirt, their surface rendered useless by the water droplets covering the lenses.

_Astrals_ , why did it have to be raining? Why was he so hot even though it was raining? How had Gladio found his blog? Oh, _Gods_ , Prompto needed that phoenix down. He laughed again, the sound high and shrill even to his ears. This, _this_ is what mortification felt like. Not kids poking fun at his stretch marks in the locker room, not his parents forgetting his birthday, not crying in the courtyard of the Citadel because Crownsguard training was hard, this. 

How could he have been so stupid? He should have kept it private from the start. Astrals, he’d written a whole post about the one time he saw Gladio’s butt on accident. Had he read that one? _Shiva, Titan, Ifrit, holy farking chocobos._

A faraway voice tugged at his consciousness, but Prompto was still too wrapped up in his spiral of despair to notice. He ran a hand through his hair and debated running, but his stylishly ripped jeans would probably just chafe him and then he’d have even more problems than he already had.

This whole afternoon had probably been some plan to get him and Gladio alone so Gladio could let him down gently. Prompto wished he’d just texted him the rejection or something, because sweet Shiva, he’d actually let himself think that this was a date. He’d let himself believe that maybe Gladio felt the same way about him that he did about Gladio. 

“ _Prom!_ ”

Prompto stopped in his tracks. He turned around to see Gladio several paces behind him in a flat out run. No, no no no, ugh, couldn’t he just leave it alone? Hadn’t Prompto been humiliated enough?

But it was still Gladio, and he still stopped, because what else would he do? 

“Gladio, please, I’m already super embarrassed. I get it, I get that you’re not into me, but can you just let me go home and deal with it in peace?” Prompto asked, not able to meet Gladio’s eyes.

“Prom, you’ve got it all wrong,” Gladio said, and then his hands were on Prompto’s shoulders, gripping them tightly through the soaked fabric of his t-shirt. “I’m sorry, I should have started with this part, but I like you. _Really_ like you. ‘Can’t stop thinking about you’ like you. I just wasn’t sure you felt the same, but once I saw the blog…”

Prompto stared. His mouth hung open, lips parted in awe. He blinked once, twice, his brain spinning its wheels like a car in the mud.

“Me?” Prompto asked, barely more than a breath.

“Yes, _you_ ,” Gladio repeated. He reached up to Prompto’s cheek and tucked an errant lock of Prompto’s wet hair behind his ear. “You don’t have to give me an answer now because I know it’s kinda sudden and a lot to take in, but I definitely wouldn’t say no if you wanted to see where this goes.”

Prompto looked up at Gladio, scarcely daring to believe, the words coming from his lips unbidden.

“Gladdy… as nice as that admission is—like, a solid 17 out of 10 on the amazingness scale—it would be a hard 74 if you kissed me right now because of _course_ my answer is yes, I want to see where this goes.”

Gladio gave a slow, wide smile and cupped Prompto’s chin with a hand. “Only if you call me Gladdy again. I like hearing you say it.”

“Kiss me, Gladdy. Please.”

He stood on his tiptoes as Gladio brought his lips to Prompto’s and kissed him. It was sweet, and warm, and a little itchy because of Gladio’s beard, and they both probably had fish breath… but it was perfect. _Perfect_. Prompto wouldn’t trade it for anything on Eos.

When they broke apart, Gladio’s eyes locked onto Prompto’s. Prompto felt his anxiety melt away when he saw Gladio looking at him like he was the most precious thing he could imagine.

“Prom?” Gladio asked.

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you again?”

“ _Yes._ ”

* * *

> **_Chocoboy19:_ **
> 
> i wanna start this post by thanking everyone for their readership over the years. i’ve really, truly, absolutely, spectacularly appreciated all your support.
> 
> this will be my last update, but it’s a good one.
> 
> first: he said yes.
> 
> second: he is as amazing of a kisser as I thought he would be. he is even better at telling me how amazing i am, which, let’s be real, doesn’t get old
> 
> third: it’s not going to be easy if we’re going to make this work, but we’re both gonna give it our best shot.
> 
> fourth: i have never been happier. i love him. i haven’t told _him_ that yet, but soon. when i’m ready.
> 
> last: thank you, thank you, thank you, all of you. i couldn’t have done it without you.
> 
> for the final time…
> 
> P out.
> 
> Sunday, 10:02 AM, 07/03/755  
>  (Like)(Comment)(Share)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading if you made it to the end! Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated, as always. <3
> 
> Fic title comes from the song [Someone to You by BANNERS, which was definitely the mood while writing this fic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeLaiL9tk68) These boys are adorable and I wanna write more in the future!
> 
> [Come yell at me on Tumblr - I don't bite!](http://aliatori.tumblr.com/)


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